Vegan Plantiful Sushi
Pack your sushi full of plant power! This plantiful vegan sushi recipe is customizable so roll up your sleeves and get ready to roll up some goodness!
My Sushi Story
I may be aging myself a bit here, but when I was in high school and college, sushi restaurants really weren’t a thing. When my kids were really little, my sister-in-law, brought home some grocery store bought sushi and offered me a piece. “NO WAY!” was my response. Something about seaweed and raw fish did not sit well with me.
Weelllll…..I did end up trying some grocery store sushi some time later and couldn’t believe how yummy it really was. Sushi restaurants began popping up everywhere, and it was super trendy to grab some rolls with friends. I will never forget the night we went out with another sushi loving couple and tried so many different rolls that I could barely walk out to the parking lot!
Today, I think I have tried every type and variety of sushi roll out there. And here is a bold statement, ready? If you ask me what my favorite thing to eat in the whole wide world is, I will say without hesitation, SUSHI!!
I taught first grade for many years. Often in various lessons the topic of favorite foods would come up. Of course they would all draw pictures and write their sentences about pizza, mac and cheese, or chicken tenders. I would tell them that sushi was my favorite food. Many of them would “yuck my yum”. It was a perfect segway into talking about how we can all like different things and respect other’s opinions even if they are not the same as our own. I would read them the book Yoko, by Rosemary Wells. Afterward many of them would say that they wanted to try sushi. Interestingly as the years went on, it became more and more common to find kids in my class that HAD tried sushi and liked it!
Plantiful Sushi
So that brings me to plantiful (plant-based) sushi. I saw others making this, and knew I had to add it to my menu of things I make on the regular. I mean, why would I deprive myself of my favorite food! How exciting that there could be a healthy and delicious way to still enjoy it. It is so versatile too! Once you get over the fear of trying to “roll the roll”, you will be slicing up all kinds of veggies and rolling up some of your own!
Isn’t Traditional Sushi Healthy?
I’m not here to say that it’s not. You can certainly get some good fats and protein from fish. If that’s your thing, I’m not here to “yuck your yum”. Many would say however that now days, the mercury content in fish is too high to consider it as a “clean” food. You can make that choice, but I’m here to show you how to roll up some plant based goodness so let’s talk about that!
The Ingredients
You are going to need to purchase some nori sheets. They are sold at most mainstream grocery chains. These super healthy seaweed sheets are packed with good things like calcium, vitamins A,B,C,D,E, and K, folic acid, iron and iodine.
Next, you will need to cook some rice. Buy the sticky white rice if it’s your first time rolling. I love the little packages of Bibigo Cooked Sticky White Rice. These come in 7.4 oz containers for around 8$ and you can microwave in a minute and a half. I use two if I am making a large batch or one for just a smaller batch.
Here’s the best part. There are no rules when it comes to the veggies you put inside. Do what sounds good to you! I usually make plantiful sushi when I have random veggies left in the fridge that I need to use up. Just slice em thin and roll em up! I gave you some yummy veggies to try out as a suggestion in the recipe but feel free to customize yours however you like! Bonus, you’ll be eating a rainbow of various veggies that are good for your health and great for your gut!
P.S…..You can even customize these for your non-vegan loved ones by adding a crab stick or some other type of seafood to some of the rolls. I’ts not just dinner for two, but dinner for EVERYONE! Here are some I rolled up to surprise my teenage daughters with when I picked them up from school. I saved the plant ones for my son, my husband, and myself. A win all around!
Rollin’, Rollin’, Rollin’!
Have you ever watched the guys behind the sushi counter roll the rolls? They are Uhh-MAZING! Don’t fear if you are not a sushi rolling expert. You can do this and you will be so happy you tried it. Just remember to not fill your nori sheet too full and tuck with your fingers along the length of the roll after each rotation. Watch my video below to see how I do it. You will see that I am NOT an expert by any means, but I got the job done!
So there you have it! Let me know if you were successful at rolling these delicious bite sized packages of plantiful sushi. Also, what veggies did you use? Have a plantiful day!
Plantiful Sushi
Equipment
- 1 sushi rolling mat optional
- 1 small bowl of water for rolling
Ingredients
For The Rice
- 1½ cup sushi rice
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 1½ tbsp Monkfruit in the raw sugar
- ½ tsp salt
For The Veggies
- 1 avocado
- 1 small cucumber peeled
- 1 large carrot
- 5 Nori sheets
- 1 sweet potato
- 10 mushrooms sliced
- 4 asparagus spears
- 4 green onions
- 1 cup cooked tofu
- 1 cup sprouts (optional)
Instructions
For The Rice
- Cook rice according to directions. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, add rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes or until sugar and salt are dissolved.
- Stir in cooked rice to vinegar solution. Allow to cool.
Roll In Veggies
- Slice sweet potato lengthwise into flat disks. Toast in toaster on regular bread setting. This should soften it a bit. Alternatively, you can microwave your sweet potato for 2 minutes before slicing.
- Slice sweet potato, and all other veggies lengthwise into thin strips. This will make rolling easier.
- Place one nori sheet on a flat surface. Otherwise place on a sushi rolling mat if using. Place about ¼ cup rice near edge closest to you. Leave a little room around all edges.
- Add sliced veggies on top or tucked into rice. Be sure not to add too many as it will not roll up easily if it is too full. I like to add a thin strip of each veggie.
- Starting at the edge closest to you, begin by gently folding the nori sheet up and over your rice/veggie pile. Carefully slide backwards tucking your fingers under the rice/veggie pile all along the length of the roll.
- Continue rolling making sure everything is evenly tucked under along the length of the roll as you go.
- Leave a slight bit of edge free, and dab with a few drops of water before finishing. This will allow everything to stick together as you cut.
- Using a large chef's knife, cut in roll into bite sized pieces gently squeezing with your non-cutting hand as you make your way down the roll. The first and last cuts (ends)don't always work out the best!
